Stamping device



A. DIEGEL STAMPING DEVICE Dec. 8, 1964 Filed March 1, 1962 bip INVENTOR ARTHUR DlEGEL BY MSLW ATTORNEYS.

tes arent hce 3,16?,li90 STAMPHNG DEVCE Arthur Diegei, 14969 University Ave., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Filed Mar. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 176,671 Claims. (Cl. 1101-18) The present invention relates to stamping or punching devices the purpose of which is to imprint characters such as letters `and numerals on the surfaces of materials that are capable of receiving and holding an impression. Such materials range all the way from soft plastic to hard metal.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable, substantially automatic stamping device that may be carried from place to place and quickly mounted in any convenient location. ln the invention, provision is made for simple, manual adjustment of the pressure applied in the stamping operation and for easy manual selection of the characters to 'be used. Y

ln its broadest aspect the invention consists of a charactor-imprinting device comprising a casing, a pressure chamber within the casing, means associated with the casing to supply compressed air to the chamber, a percussion mechanism reciprocally mounted in the casing and actu-able by air under pressure in the chamber, and a charactor-carrying magazine associated with the casing. The characters in the magazine 'are selective and alignab-le with the percussion mechanism.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: v

FIGURE l is a view in elevation of the invention, partly in section,

FGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 2 2 in FIGURE l, and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section along line 3-3 in FIG- URE 1.

The device has a longitudinal cylindrical outer casing 1 carrying an upper cap` or closure member 2 and a heavy nose `or lower cap member 3, parts 1, 2, and 3 serving to define a compartment within which lthe working parts of the stamping device operate. Members 2 and 3 are apertured and are secured to member 1 by means of screwthreaded connections, or by Iany other suitable or securing means.

A disc or magazine 4 is rotatably secured by means of a screw or a machine-bolt S to a lug 6 that is formed integral with lower cap member 3. Magazine 4 is a com'- cally-shaped disc and is mounted on cap 3 in a plane disposed at an angle of 45 to the long axis of the stamping device itself. The disc or magazine 4 has a thickened periphery 7 that carries a series of cylinders 8, each cylinder being mounted for a short reciprocating movement in a bushing or bearing 9 and each being equipped with `a shock-absorber such as `O-ring 10. The outer or lower end 11 of each of the cylinders S has secured thereto a charcter 12, the cylinders being rotatable with disc 4 into vertical alignment with the long axis of the stamping device and with a percussive member to be described below.

In order to prevent movement of the disc 4 during the stamping operation a series of depressions 13 is provided, each depression being engageable with a retaining member such as ball bearing 14 mounted endwise of a cylinder member `15 which may be secured to or lformed integral with lower cap member 3. A spring 16 urges the ball 14 into the depression 13.

One end of an angular tubular bracket 30 is in au annular flange 30a formed integral with outer casing 1 while the other end is releasably securable to a vertical post 31 by means of wing-nut 32, the post 31 being mounted on a base 33 carrying an anvil member 34 located beneath lower cap member 3 yand magazine 4.

Mounted on, Iand preferably within member 3i) is a compressed air supply and control mechanism indicated generally at 40 and comprising an air-supply line 41 carrying fair at a pressure of approximately pounds per square inch, an air-exhaust passage 42, a reciprocating double-acting piston 43 mounted within an air chamber 44, A spring 45 seated against one end of the chamber 44 Iand against a shoulder 46 on piston 43 normally forces the valve-end 47 of the piston 43 into sealing relationship with the inner end of air-supply line 41 thereby cutting 01T the Jlow of air through line 4l into chamber 44. The opposite valve-end 48 of Ipiston 43 is designed to enter into sealing relationship with exhaust passage 42. A trigger mechanism consisting `of a trigger 49 and a pin 5l) is designed to move the valve-end 47 of piston 43 out of sealing relationship with air supply 41, against the action of spring 45, and into sealing relation with exhaust passage 42. The piu 50 is secured to the end 43 of piston 43.

An air-conducting line 51 conducts air under pressure from 'air-chamber 44, through the Wall of casing 1, to a pressure chamber 52 in the stamping device.

A percussive member or ram indicated generally at 60, is freely suspended wit-hin casing 1 by means of dogs or brackets 61 and 62 which are pivotally secured by means of pins 66 and 67 to the walls 63 and 64 of a chamber or aperture 65 Wit-hin, or defined by, ram 69 (see FIGURES 1 .and 3). The ram 60 comprises two main parts, an upper portion identified as chamber-defining section 68,

and a lower Ipercussive section 69 carrying a small hammer-plate or striking member 70. The percussive section 69 of ram 60 is of smaller diameter than the upper section 68, and is designed to ride or reciprocate within bushing or bearing 71 secured to the heavy walls of nose or lower cap member 3. Vertical movement of section 69 is oriented by means of pin or set-screw 72 riding keyslot 73.

The Idogs or brackets 61 and 62 have sloped shoulders 74 and 75 that are in slida-ble engagement with the lower lip 76 formed by -a recess 77 in the wall of casing 1. The normal tendency of the brackets would be to slide or fall inwardly into cavity or chamber 65 but that movement is normally prevented by 4a circular disc or plate 7 8 mounted in fixed position on vertical adjusting or tensioning shaft 79. Shaft 79 extends rfrom a recess 80 in lower percussive section 69 upwardly through chamber 65 and through the upper portion 68 of ram 60 to a point beyond upper cap member 2, and is provided at its upper end with a knurled adjusting screw 81. Shaft 79 is journalled for rotary as well as reciprocating motion within a vertical hollow shaft 82, that shaft being secured at its lower end to the upper portion 68 of ram 60, by means of a screw threaded connection for example, and extending to a point beyond cap member 2 but short of the extremity of shaft 79. The lower end 83 of sha-ft 82 is apertured at 84, the aperture -being slotted as at 85, the slotted porf 3 tion being designed to accommodate wings 86 of a collar 87, the latter being mounted on shaft 79 by means of the screw-threaded connection indicated by an arrow at 88.

A piston 100 is jour-nailed for vertical movement both within casing 1 and on shaft 82. 1n order to maintain chamber 52 in lan `airtight condition at all times sealing members such as O-rings 101 and 102 are provided, ring 101 being situated between the piston and the wall of casing 1, .and ring 102 between the piston and shaft S2. An additional sealing ring 103 is provided between shaft 82 and collar or bushing 104 which lacts as a guide and a bearing for the upper portion of shaft 32.

A return-collar 105 is fixed to shaft 82 by means of setscrew 106, the collar 105 being amxed at a point immediately below collar or bushing 104 and between the end of that coll-ar and the upper surface 107 od piston 109. A collar 108 depends from the lower surface 199 of piston 100 and is unitary with the piston, both collar 198 and piston 160 being adapted to ride freely on shaft 82.

It will be noted at this point that piston 191B may be moved downwardly to the point at which the lower edge 111 of collar 10S meets the upper edges 112 of wings 86 on collar 87. The vertical position of collar S7 may be determined by adjusting screw 81 which turns shaft 79 either to the right (clockwise) or the left (counter-clockwise).

It will be realised too that collar 108, wings 36 on collar S7, xed plate 7S on shaft 79, and dogs 61 and 62 all acting together, become a percussion-initiating means, since it is by the joint action of those members that ram 6) is released.

The piston 109 is forced downwardly by air-pressure in chamber 52 against a pair of opposed drive springs 113 and piston-return spring 114. Springs 113 are seated against the lower surface 1119 of piston 10i), at which point they encircle collar 10S, and against the upper surface 115 of ram 60.

Piston-return spring 114 is seated against the lower surface 109 of piston 1611i and against a shoulder 116 in the wall of casing 1.

An additional spring 117 is mounted about 4the lower end of tensioning shaft 79 and within cavity 65 in ram 61?. The spring 117 is seated against the underside of plate 7S and against the bottom wall of cavity 65.

The device may be operated as follows:

The operator selects one or the characters 12 and rotates magazine 4 until the cylinder 3 carrying the desired character is in vertical alignment with striking member 70 on ram 60. Retaining member 14 secures magazine 4 against further rota-ry movement until the operator selects a. second character. A workpiece 118 is placed on anvil 34.

The operator next adjusts the tension of the machine by manipulating shaft 79 by means of adjusting `screw S1. Turning shaft 79 to the right (clockwise) raises the collar 7 on the shaft and vice versa.

The nearer wings 86 on collar 87 are to the lower edge 111 of collar 16S the sooner will the joint action of members 108, 111, 86, 78 and 79 that was described above be completed. In other words, the shorter the relative distance between collar 108 and wings 86 the weaker will be'the blow delivered by ram 611, and conversely, the greater the distance the stronger the blow.

Once the machine is under the desired tension, thle operator opens air-line 41 by manipulating trigger mechanism t9-5d thus neutralising the force of spring 45, opening air-supply line 41 and sealing air-exhaust passage 42. Air rushes into chamber 44 in mechanism 40, at 100 pounds pressure, and via line 51 into sealed pressurechamber 52. Piston 16u is forced downwardly thereby compressing driving springs 113 and piston-return spring 114. The driving compression of springs 113 is approaching its maximum force, relative to the setting of collar 87, at the point at which the lower edge 1110i' collar 108 contacts the upper edge 112 of wings 86. Up

i to that point ram 6% has remained motionless, being suspended on dogs 61 and 62, the sloped shoulders 74 and 75 of which are retained in position on lip 76 by means of plate 7 3.

From the moment at which collar 108 contacts wings 86, shaft 79 is forced downwardly (there being the screwthreaded connection 8S between collar 87 and shaft 79) and, with it, plate 78. As soon as plate 78 has been depressed into the lower portion of the chamber 65 the dogs 61 and 62 fall inwardly into the chamber thus releasing ram et) which is driven downwardly by springs 113 to strike cylinder 8 and imprint character 12 on workpiece 118. The purpose of the paired or dual drive springs 13 is to prevent ram 60 from chattering which would result in a double impression on the article to be stamped.

The machine works rapidly, and when one stamping operation has been completed the operator releases trigger mechanism 419-51) thereby permitting spring 45 to force valve-end 117 into sealing relation with air-supply line d1. Spring 114 expands and forces piston 111i) to move upwardly. Air in pressure-chamber 52 is forced back through line 51 into chamber 44, to be exhausted through passage 42. The percussion mechanism is returned by collar 1115 to the position shown in FIGURE 1. Spring 117 expands to cause dogs 61 and 62 to engage in recess 77 of the wall of casing 1.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A character-imprinting device comprising a frame, a cylindrical casing mounted on the frame and closed at one end, a percussive member reciprocally suspended within the casing at the end thereof remote from said closed end, pivotal members mounted on the percussive member and adapted to releasably engage the wall of the casing, a first shaft concentrically mounted within the casing and adapted to coact with said pivotal members, a second shaft concentrically mounted on said iirst shaft and secured to said percussive member, said first and second vshaft being slidable in said closed end of the casing, a

piston coopera-ting with the walls of the casing adjacent said closed end to dene a pressure member, said piston being slidableron said second shaft, means on said first shaft adapted to cooperate with said piston whereby when said piston is moved in the' direction of the percussive member said means will be engaged and thereby eTect the release of said pivotal members from engagement with the wall of the casing, spring means adapted to tension said percussive member prior to release of said pivotal members from said wall, means to supply air under compression to said pressure chamber, and a character carrylng magazine associated with the casing, the characters in the magazine being selective and alignable with the percussion mechanism.

2. A character-imprinting device as claimed in claim l wherein the collar is winged, said wings protruding through slotsV positioned in said second shaft axially thereof.

3. A character-imprinting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said collar is threaded on said first shaft, means at the end of said iirst shaft external of said closed end for rotating said rst shaft and axially adjusting said collar.

4. A character-imprinting device comprising a cylindrical casing, an aperture closure member at one end of the closure member and said piston and secured at its end to said percussive member, a second shaft extending Within and lengthwise of said tubular shaft and adapted for both rotary and axial movement, means xed on the second shaft to releasably hold said dogs in engagement with the wall of said casing, a rst compression spring mounted between the piston and a shoulder in the wall of the casing remote from the closure member of the casing, second. compression spring means mounted between the piston and percussive member, a lthird compression spring 10 adapted to urge the means on the second shaft into engagement with the dogs, means to supply air to the pressure chamber, and a magazine rotatably mounted on the 5 a pair of concentric springs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,980,014 Swenson Nov. 6, 1934 2,427,358 Kovach Sept. 16, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 963,415 Germany May 9, 1957 

1. A CHARACTER-IMPRINTING DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, A CYLINDRICAL CASING MOUNTED ON THE FRAME AND CLOSED AT ONE END, A PERCUSSIVE MEMBER RECIPROCALLY SUSPENDED WITHIN THE CASING AT THE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID CLOSED END, PIVOTAL MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE PERCUSSIVE MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO RELEASABLY ENGAGE THE WALL OF THE CASING, A FIRST SHAFT CONCENTRICALLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE CASING AND ADAPTED TO COACT WITH SAID PIVOTAL MEMBERS, A SECOND SHAFT CONCENTRICALLY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST SHAFT AND SECURED TO SAID PERCUSSIVE MEMBER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHAFT BEING SLIDABLE IN SAID CLOSED END OF THE CASING, A PISTON COOPERATING WITH THE WALLS OF THE CASING ADJACENT SAID CLOSED END TO DEFINE A PRESSURE MEMBER, SAID PISTON BEING SLIDABLE ON SAID SECOND SHAFT, MEANS ON SAID FIRST SHAFT ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID PISTON WHEREBY WHEN SAID PISTON IS MOVED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PERCUSSIVE MEMBER SAID MEANS WILL BE ENGAGED AND THEREBY EFFECT THE 